Three elementary school teachers, one middle school teacher, and a high school teacher comprise the field of five finalists for 2024 Anne Arundel County Public Schools Teacher of the Year. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell, members of the Board of Education, and Mark Hoffmann, president of the Education Foundation of Anne Arundel County Public Schools surprised the finalists today to announce the news.
The finalists and the subjects they teach are:
- Patrick Alexander, instrumental music, Piney Orchard Elementary School
- Jesse Bragg, math, Meade Middle School
- Amy Chitwood, special education, Ridgeway Elementary School
- Elizabeth Heist, music, Lake Shore Elementary School
- Kellie Skinner, special education, Annapolis High School
The following teachers were named finalists for Anne Arundel County Independent Schools Teacher of the Year:
- Clinton Kittrell, science, The Summit School
- Tiffany Wenck, music, St. Paul’s Lutheran School
The Teacher of the Year semifinalists will be among 69 Anne Arundel County teachers to be honored at the 38th Annual Excellence in Education Awards Event on Friday, May 3, 2024, at The Hall @ Live! Arundel Mills. The AACPS Teacher of the Year will go on to represent the school system in the Maryland Teacher of the Year competition.
The following Teacher of the Year nominees will also be honored at the event (asterisk denotes semifinalist):
- Roxanne Angerer, Severna Park High School
- Nikki Baker, Jones Elementary School
- Emily Beer, Freetown Elementary School
- Jennifer Benes, Manor View Elementary School
- Jessica Berstein, Severn River Middle School
- Kylie Blankinship, Chesapeake High School
- Alison Bowers, Brooklyn Park Middle School*
- Carol Brinkley, Mary Moss at J. Albert Adams Academy
- Kandice Brune, Belle Grove Elementary School
- Randi Burkhardt, Arundel Middle School
- Kayt Capasso, Georgetown East Elementary School*
- Cara Nicole Chambers, Brooklyn Park Elementary School
- Stephanie Clampitt, Point Pleasant Elementary School
- Cindy Contreras, Tyler Heights Elementary School*
- Stephanie Danza, Annapolis Area Christian School
- Elizabeth Davidson, Crofton Middle School
- Brandy Dorr, Old Mill Middle School South*
- Carly Ellis, Fort Smallwood Elementary School
- Lori Fish, Solley Elementary School
- Kate Ganley, Crofton High School
- James Grim, Old Mill High School*
- Nancy X. Harmon, Ruth Parker Eason School
- Kristin Haynie, Marley Elementary School*
- Morgan Heymann, North County High School
- Amy Hughes, Severna Park Middle School
- Malia Johnston, Magothy River Middle School*
- Melissa Kratsas, George Cromwell Elementary School
- Nick Konstantopoulos, Glen Burnie High School
- Hayden Lambert, Wiley H. Bates Middle School
- Jamie Landis, Waugh Chapel Elementary School
- Kelly Leary, Glendale Elementary School*
- Shelby Ledger, Broadneck High School
- Alyssa Lowman, Mills-Parole Elementary School
- Colleen Murphy Ayala, Annapolis Middle School
- Jane Newton, Southern Middle School
- Courtney Oltman, Folger McKinsey Elementary School
- Paula Perry, AACPS Virtual Academy
- Nicole Pope, Hilltop Elementary School
- Ramish Qutab, Lindale Middle School
- Andrea Ranaghan, Old Mill Middle School North
- Debra Roat, Linthicum Elementary School
- Shannon Riley, South River High School
- Renee Lauren Robbins, Deale Elementary School
- Scott Roberts, Corkran Middle School
- Caitlin Rzepkowski, Tracy’s Elementary School
- Corinne Shuck Seidel, Broadneck Elementary School*
- Amy Sherlock, Arundel High School
- Nicole Shouse, Seven Oaks Elementary School
- Sarah Skinner, Center of Applied Technology – North*
- Samantha Skoczylas, Millersville Elementary School
- Diannette M. Soto-Barreto, Marley Middle School
- Tara Stapler, Central Middle School
- Pamela Stein, Monarch Global Academy
- Joshua L. Thompson, Northeast Middle School
- Terry D. Tuttle, Shady Side Elementary School
- Kate Veasel, Pasadena Elementary School
- Malieka Walton, Chesapeake Bay Middle School
- Karen M. Wilson, Edgewater Elementary School
- Cynthia White, St. John the Evangelist
- Amy Jakubowski Wukitch, Woodside Elementary School
- Susie Zacepilo, Lothian Elementary School
- Bridget Zimmerman, Germantown Elementary School
AACPS has had three Maryland Teacher of the Year winners in the last six years: Mary Kay Connerton of Annapolis High School (2023), Teresa Beilstein of South Shore Elementary School (2020), and Josh Carroll of South River High School (2018).
Businesses and organizations interested in sponsorship opportunities for the 2024 Excellence in Education Awards celebration can contact Leathia Fletcher at LFletcher@aacps.org or 410-266-3287. Sponsorships and tickets to the event are available online at EiE2024.givesmart.com.